The ever rising power and decreasing cost of mobile devices have steadily increased the presence of such devices in society. In one of the first big leaps in mobile technology, mobile devices, such as smartphones, gained the ability to send and receive e-mail. Later, these devices added music player functionality. Currently, many mobile devices are able to function as turn-by-turn navigation systems and many also contain the ability to access the interne for web browsing and even video streaming. Additionally, many mobile devices, similar to general purpose computers, have the ability to run stand-alone applications which even further increase their functionality. As the number of functions has increased for these devices, they have become an invaluable accessory for many people.
A need exists for mobile devices and mobile device applications to help a user in emergency situations, such as a confrontation with a would-be attacker or thief. Indeed, the use of mobile devices with a conventional user interface may well decrease the overall safety of a mobile device user since the user is often focused on interacting with the mobile device instead of watching his or her surroundings. Although mobile devices provide various means for communicating with others, in situations when a user is approached by a would-be attacker or thief, the user is usually not in a position to use the mobile device to place a phone call or send a text message or e-mail notifying people or organizations that he or she is in a dangerous situation. These options are generally unavailable in such situations because they require time and overtly noticeable movements. If a mobile device user were to attempt to alert others of the situation by way of a mobile device, the would-be attacker or thief could interpret that as a provocation and respond with increased violence in an attempt to prevent the communication.
A number of applications have been developed to assist people in such emergency situations by allowing a mobile device user to more quickly alert others. However, these applications suffer from the same problem as trying to place a normal phone call or text message—they require too much time and interaction with the device's user interface to be useful in risky situations. Therefore, an option is needed to allow those in dangerous or emergency situations to quickly alert others that they are in a dangerous situation while avoiding drawbacks such as those discussed above.